Monday, May 2, 2011

DIY orchid basket

I'm not quite sure what sparked this project, but on Friday evening when I got home from dinner I was feeling creative, so I made good use of some sticks in our yard.

My homemade orchid basket

First I broke sticks by hand into similar lengths. Then I used a pair of pliers to snip the ends so they were a little more regular. I searched the garage for a while until I came across an old roll of wire. This was perfect because the wire was rusted and blended in with the wood even better - one of the advantages of living in an old family house! After just about 30 minutes of work I had made a hanging basket for an orchid.

Edge of the orchid basket, where you can see the wiring a little better.

I think it turned out pretty nice for my first one and that I'll make some more soon. The orchid that's in the basket in the picture above is Stanhopea wardii. Stanhopeas are ideal for hanging baskets because they produce blooms that hang below the plants. Other orchids actually produce their bloom stems from the roots, hanging down, which makes the open slats in the basket perfect (assuming the plant is directly in the basket, without a pot). I really only have one or two orchids that require (or appreciate) a hanging basket like this but we have a lot of limbs and sticks in the backyard and I would like to hone my skills. I think I can make the next one sturdier than the first model. Maybe someone in the orchid society will want one...